Method for Announcing a Calling Party From a Communication Device

ABSTRACT

A system and method are disclosed for announcing a calling party from a communication device. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a call processing system can have a controller for processing calls in a communication system. The controller can be programmed to detect an incoming call initiated by a third party communication device over a first voice channel, transmit to a communication device over a control channel a notification signal associated with the incoming call, detect a connection made by the communication device to a second voice channel, transmit to the communication device over the second voice channel audio signals that identify a calling party, and link the first and second voice channels upon detecting over the control channel a call acceptance action by the communication device. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/909,463, filed Oct. 21, 2010, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 11/312,129, filed Dec. 20, 2005 (now U.S. Pat. No.7,844,262), the entireties of which are herein incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to announcement techniques, andmore specifically to a method for announcing a calling party from acommunication device.

BACKGROUND

With caller ID and associated ring tones or music, an end user canidentify a calling party by way of a text message conveyed on a displayand/or sounds played out on a loud speaker of a communication devicebelonging to the end user. These announcement techniques, thoughhelpful, can be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram of communication devices operatingin a communication system managed in part by a call processing system(CPS);

FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram of alternate embodiments of thecommunication devices;

FIGS. 3-4 depict exemplary flowcharts of alternate methods operating inthe communication devices;

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary flowchart of a method operating in the CPS;

FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary flowchart of a method operating in a webportal application hosted by the CPS; and

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) of the webportal application for entering provisioning information for the CPS;and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure provide a methodfor announcing a calling party from a communication device.

In a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication devicecan have a controller that manages operations of a transceiver forexchanging messages in a communication system, and a user interface (UI)for exchanging messages with an end user of the communication device.The controller can be programmed to receive from a call processingsystem (CPS) over a control channel a notification signal associatedwith a call initiated by a third party communication device, connect toa voice channel supplied by the communication system in response todetecting the notification signal, prevent transmission of speechsignals of the end user over the voice channel, receive from the CPSaudio signals transmitted over the voice channel that identify a callingparty associated with the third party communication device, convey tothe end user over a loud speaker of the UI audible signals correspondingto the audio signals received from the CPS, detect a manipulation of theUI by the end user corresponding to a call acceptance action, andtransmit over the control channel an acceptance signal to the CPSrequesting a direct connection to the third party communication deviceover the voice channel.

In a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readablestorage medium operates in a communication device. The storage mediumcan have computer instructions for receiving an identificationcorresponding to an incoming call initiated by a third partycommunication device that is directed to the communication device, anddetermining according to the identification one among first and secondresponses. In the first response, the storage medium can have computerinstructions for selecting according to the identification a prerecordedmessage including one among a first voice of a calling party associatedwith the third party communication device, and a second voice of the enduser, presenting the end user speech signals corresponding to theprerecorded message, and connecting to a voice channel upon detecting acall acceptance action by the end user. In the second response, thestorage medium can have computer instructions for connecting to thevoice channel while preventing transmission of speech signals of the enduser over the voice channel, transmitting to the third partycommunication device an indication that the calling party can begin tospeak, receiving speech signals from the calling party of the thirdparty communication device over the voice channel, presenting the enduser audible signals corresponding to the speech signals of the callingparty, and enabling transmission of speech signals of the end user overthe voice channel upon detecting a call acceptance action by the enduser.

In a third embodiment of the present disclosure, a call processingsystem (CMS) can have a controller that manages operations of acommunications interface for processing calls in a communication system.The controller can be programmed to detect an incoming call initiated bya third party communication device that is directed to a communicationdevice over a first voice channel, transmit to a communication deviceover a control channel a notification signal associated with theincoming call, detect a connection made by the communication device to asecond voice channel supplied by the communication system, transmit tothe communication device over the second voice channel audio signalsthat identify a calling party associated with the incoming call, andlink the first and second voice channels upon detecting over the controlchannel a call acceptance action by the communication device.

In a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, a method in a webportal application can be managed by a call processing system (CPS). Themethod can include the steps of presenting a graphical user interface(GUI) over the Internet for facilitating entry of provisioninginformation supplied by an end user of a communication device, storingan identification entered by the end user, wherein the identificationcomprises at least one among a calling party's name, a caller ID, and anaccess code corresponding to a third party communication device of acalling party, storing a calling number entered by the end usercorresponding to the communication device, wherein the calling number ofthe communication device is associated with the identification of thethird party communication device, storing a selection for an audiosignal type entered by the end user corresponding to one among a groupof audio signal types comprising a live announcement, and a prerecordedannouncement, wherein the selection is associated with theidentification, storing an audio signal source supplied by the end userfor the audio signal type corresponding to the prerecorded announcement,wherein the audio signal source is one among a group of audio signalsources comprising a ring tone, music, and a prerecorded message in thecalling party's voice or in the end user's voice, each of which canidentify the calling party, storing a presentation limit entered by theend user corresponding to the selected audio signal type, andtransmitting to the CPS the foregoing provisioning information suppliedby the end user.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram of communication devices 115, 116operating in a communication system 100 managed in part by a callprocessing system (CPS) 102. The communication system 100 comprises anIP (Internet Protocol) network 101 coupled to the CPS 102, a cellularnetwork 103 and a building 105 consisting of an enterprise or residence.The IP network 101 utilizes technology for transporting Internettraffic. For an enterprise setting, the building 105 can include a PBX114 that provides connectivity services between terminal devices 115 ofenterprise personnel such as a Voice over IP or VoIP phone, or POTS(Plain Old Telephone Service) phone. In a residential setting, thebuilding 105 can include a VoIP or POTS phone coupled to a centraloffice 113 utilizing conventional telephonic switches for processingcalls with third parties. The CPS 102 can be used to control operationsof a media gateway 109, the central office 113 and the PBX 114.

The CPS 102 can comprise a communications interface 104 that utilizescommon technology for communicating over an IP interface with the IPnetwork 101, the media gateway 109, or the cellular network 103. The CPS102 further comprises a memory 106 (such as a high capacity storagemedium) embodied in this illustration as a database, and a controller108 that makes use of computing technology such as a desktop computer,or scalable server for controlling operations of the CPS 102. The CPS102 can operate as an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) conforming in partto protocols defined by standards bodies such as 3GPP (Third GenerationPartnership Protocol), and the claims described below.

Under the control of the CPS 102, the media gateway 109 can linkpacket-switched and circuit-switched technologies such as the cellularnetwork 103 and the IP network 101, respectively. The media gateway 109can conform to a media gateway control protocol (MGCP) also known asH.248 defined by work groups in the Internet Engineering Task Force(IETF). This protocol can handle signaling and session management neededduring a multimedia conference. The protocol defines a means ofcommunication between the media gateway 109, which converts data fromthe format required for a circuit-switched network to that required fora packet-switched network. MGCP can therefore be used to set up,maintain, and terminate calls between multiple disparate networkelements of the communication system 100.

The cellular network 103 utilizes circuit-switched technology supportingvoice and data services such as GSM-GPRS, EDGE, CDMA-1X, UMTS, and otherknown technologies. The cellular network 103 is coupled to base stations107 under a frequency-reuse environment for communicating over-the-airwith roaming communication devices 116.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram of alternate embodiments of thecommunication devices 115, 116. In a first embodiment, the communicationdevice 115 can be embodied in an immobile device (e.g., a wirelinephone). In a supplemental embodiment, the communication device 115 canalso include short range communications technology (e.g., a cordlessphone) to support mobility within a small area such as the end user'sresidence. Alternatively, the communication device 116 can represent amobile device utilizing a wireless transceiver 202 supporting long-rangewireless communications. The wireless transceiver 202 of communicationdevice 116 utilizes technology for exchanging voice and data messageswith the base stations 107, which in turn relays said messages totargeted end users. For communication device 115, the wireline and/orwireless transceiver 202 can utilize communications technology such asPOTS, WiFi, Bluetooth™, or cordless.

Alternatively, the communication devices 115, 116 can be integrated as amultimode communication device (MCD). That is, when the MCD is withinthe premises of the building 105 it can be designed to function as aPOTS wireline device or a VoIP device over WiFi, Bluetooth™, or cordlessmuch like reference 115. When roaming outside the building 105, the MCDfunctions as a wireless communication device operating on the cellularnetwork 103 like reference 116.

Each of the foregoing embodiments for communication devices 115, 116 canfurther utilize a memory 204, an audio system 206, an electromechanicaldetection element 207, and a controller 208. The memory 204 comprisesstorage devices such as RAM, SRAM, DRAM, and/or Flash memories. Thememory 204 can be an integral part of the controller 208. The audiosystem 206 can comprise a low volume speaker for listening to messagesnear the end user's ear and an associated microphone for exchangingmessages with calling parties. The audio system 206 can further utilizea loud speaker for listening to announcements at a distancesubstantially away from the end user's ear, and as a speakerphonefeature.

The electro-mechanical detection element 207 utilizes common technologyfor detecting when the end user accepts a call. For example, in a firstembodiment communication device 116 can be housed in a flip-assembly.The electro-mechanical detection element 207 can be used to detect whenthe end user opens the flip assembly thereby signaling the controller208 that the end user has performed a call acceptance action (i.e., theend user is prepared to engage in a conversation with the callingparty). Alternatively, the electromechanical detection element 207 canbe housed in an immobile communication device 115 whereby the detectionmechanism can represent an on and off-hook detection mechanism much likewhat is used today in POTS phones.

The controller 208 can manage the foregoing components with computingtechnology such as a microprocessor and/or digital signal processor. Thecommunication devices 115, 116 can further include a display 210 forconveying images to the end user, a keypad 212 for manipulatingoperations of the communication device, and a portable power supply 213.The audio system 206, electromechanical detection element 207, display210, and the keypad 212 can singly or in combination represent a userinterface (UI) for interfacing with the end user.

It would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that thecommunication technologies illustrated in FIG. 1 can be modified withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the claims described below. Forinstance, the cellular network 103 can be replaced with a WiFi or WiMaxnetwork without departing from the teachings of the present disclosureand the claims described herein.

With this in mind, FIGS. 3-4 are presented as exemplary flowcharts ofalternate methods 300, 400 operating in the communication devices 115,116. In a first embodiment, method 300 begins with step 302 in which thecontroller 208 of the communication device receives over a controlchannel a notification signal from the CPS 102. The notification signalis associated with a call initiated by a third party communicationdevice operated by a calling party. The third party communication devicecan be similar or the same as communication devices 115, or 116, or anyother conventional device for communication purposes.

In a POTS environment, the notification signal can be transmitted over acontrol channel such as a copper wire routed from central office 113 tobuilding 105 commonly used today for ringing POTS phones. A uniquesignal can be transmitted over the copper interface instead of theconventional POTS voltage to provide the controller 208 a means toidentify the notification signal as originating from the CPS 102. In anIP environment, the notification signal can be transmitted over acontrol channel of the IP network 101 conforming to a session initiationprotocol (SIP) commonly used in VoIP applications.

In step 304, the controller 208 can be programmed to connect to a voicechannel supplied by the communication system 100. The voice channel canbe a circuit-switched or packet-switched voice channel. The controller208 can be further programmed in step 306 to cause the audio system 206to mute the microphone so as to prevent the calling party from hearingthe end user prior to accepting the call.

In step 308, the controller 208 can be programmed to receive from theCPS 102 audio signals over the voice channel associated with the callingparty. The audio signals can be any one of a number of audio sourcessuch as a ring tone or music associated specifically with the callingparty, a prerecorded message in the calling party's voice or the enduser's voice, or live speech of the calling party, each of which canidentify the calling party. The ring tone can be of any kind and anyquality (MIDI, MP3 and so on). The music can be of a popular artistsupplied as fidelity digital music conforming to an MP3 format.

The prerecorded message can be any recording of the calling party or theend user for identification purposes. For exampling, the end user canrecord a message in the end user's voice stating, “Mom's calling.” For apersonalized touch, a similar prerecorded message can be created in thecalling party's voice such as, for example, “It's Mom. Johnny, pleaseanswer.”

The controller 208 can convey audible signals over the loud speakercorresponding to the foregoing audio signals received from the CPS instep 308. Accordingly, the aforementioned steps replace the conventionalring tone commonly heard in cell phones, POTS phones, and VoIP phones.Instead the end user hears a personalized announcement that uniquelyidentifies the calling party.

In step 312, the controller 208 can be programmed to detect by way ofthe electro-mechanical element 207 a call acceptance action by the enduser. If the end user decides not to answer the call, the announcementconveyed in step 310 will eventually cease when the calling partychooses to end the call, or when the calling party is directed to avoicemail service by the CPS 102. When this happens, the controller 208proceeds to step 302 to process other incoming calls.

If, on the other hand, the end user accepts the call by manipulating afunction of the communication device's UI (e.g., lifts the handset ofthe communication device from its base unit, opens a flip phone,depresses a button on the keypad 212, etc.) thereby triggering theelectromechanical detection element 207, the controller 208 proceeds tostep 314 where it transmits over the control channel an acceptancesignal to the CPS 102 requesting a direct connection to the callingparty. The control signal can be a unique voltage signal, or the sameoff-hook signal used by POTS phones today. In an IP environment, theacceptance signal can be a message on the SIP channel for identifying anoff-hook event.

From step 314, the controller 208 proceeds to step 316 where it enablesthe microphone of the audio system 206 for exchanging speech signalswith the calling party. If a speaker phone feature is also enabled,communications take place over the loud speaker; otherwise, the end userplaces the communication device 115, 116 near or upon her ear to listento messages by way of the low volume speaker of the audio system 206.

Method 400 provides an alternative embodiment in which the communicationdevices 115, 116 operate independently from the CPS 102. In thisembodiment, the controller 208 can begin with step 401 where it receivesprovisioning information corresponding to a process for generating anannouncement associated with the calling party similar to the processdescribed in method 300. The provisioning information can be supplied bya computing device such as a desktop computer, a web portal application,or the communication system 100 by transmitting over-the-air (e.g.,short message system or SMS) messages that include portions of theprovisioning information.

In step 402, the controller 208 can receive an identification (or ID)from a third party communication device over a first voice channel. Theidentification can be one among a caller ID or an access code. Thecaller ID can represent an ANI (Automatic Number Identification) foridentifying the third party communication device. If the calling partyis unable to use her own communication device and must utilize, forexample, a public phone, the controller 208 can be programmed toidentify the calling party by way of an access code entered by thecalling party. The access code can be a sequence of DTMF (Dual ToneMulti Frequency) tones generated by keystrokes entered by the callingparty on the public phone.

Upon detecting an ID associated with the calling party, the controller208 can proceed to step 404 where it selects a process for presenting arecorded message or live speech from the calling party according to theidentification. For recorded messages, the controller 208 proceeds tostep 406 where it selects a prerecorded message according to the ID. Theprerecorded message can be any of the embodiments described above formethod 300. In step 408, the controller 208 can be programmed to presentover the loud speaker the prerecorded message. Since the controller 208has not connected to a voice channel associated with calling party, itdoes not matter whether the microphone portion of the audio system 206is enabled or disabled.

The presentation step can be repeated a number of times not to exceed apresentation limit (e.g., 4 cycles) as monitored by the controller 208in step 410. If the controller 208 does not detect a call acceptanceaction by the end user in step 412, and the presentation limit has beenexceeded, the controller 208 proceeds to step 416 where it directs thecalling party to a voicemail service. The voicemail service can residein the communication system 100 or in the communication device itself.If, on the other hand, the end user accepts the call, the controller 208proceeds to step 414 where it connects to the voice channel of theincoming call.

If the controller 208 identifies in step 404 a process for live speech,the controller 208 proceeds to step 420 where it connects to the voicechannel associated with the incoming call. In step 422, the controller208 can be programmed to cause the audio system 206 to preventtransmission of speech signals of the end user over the voice channel.Once the microphone is muted, the controller 208 can transmit in step423 an indication to the calling party that s/he can begin to speak. Theindication can be a synthesized instruction stating, for example, “Youmay now make an announcement.” Alternatively, the indication can be a“beep” or “chirp” that is familiar to the calling party for beginningthe announcement response.

In step 424, the controller 208 presents the live speech of the callingparty over the loud speaker. The calling party can be given a setpresentation limit similar to step 410. In this embodiment, thepresentation limit can represent a specific time limit (e.g., 10seconds) monitored by the controller 208 in step 426. If the end userdoes not accept the call in step 428 and the presentation limit isexceeded, the controller 208 proceeds to step 416; otherwise, thecontroller 208 proceeds to step 430 where it causes the audio system 206to enable the microphone so that the end user can engage in conversationwith the calling party.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary flowchart of a method 500 operating in theCPS 102 which mirror images in part the functions described in method300. Method 500 begins with step 502 where the CPS 102 is provisioned bythe end user. This step can take place according to the steps of method600 illustrated by a flowchart in FIG. 6 which will be discussedshortly. In step 504, the controller 108 of the CPS 102 can beprogrammed to detect an incoming call over a first voice channel. Thedetection can occur from signaling information (e.g., SS7 or SIP)transmitted by any of the network elements in the communication system100 of FIG. 1. The signaling information can correspond to apacket-switched network or circuit-switched network. In step 506, thecontroller 108 can be further programmed to identify an ID for thecalling party according to the ANI, or an access code supplied by thecalling party as described earlier.

In step 508, the controller 108 can be programmed to transmit anotification signal to the targeted communication device. Thenotification signal can be a POTS signal or IP signal generated by thenetwork elements of FIG. 1 under the control of the CPS 102. In step510, the controller 108 can also be programmed to transmit an indicationto the calling party that the communication device is being prompted toanswer. The indication can be similar or the same as the ringing soundheard today by common phones when a calling party is making a call to atargeted recipient. In step 512, the controller 108 can be programmed todetect a connection made by the communication device over a second voicechannel supplied by the communication system 100.

Once connected to the second voice channel, the controller 108 can beprogrammed to select an audio signal type according to the ID receivedin step 506. Similar to the descriptions of method 400, the selectioncan consist of a process for presenting a prerecorded message or livespeech from the calling party. In the former, the controller 108proceeds to step 516 where it selects a prerecorded message according tothe ID. The prerecorded message can be any of the embodiments describedearlier. In step 518, the controller 108 repeatedly transmits to thecommunication device over the second voice channel audio signalscorresponding to the prerecorded message.

In step 522, the controller 108 monitors whether the audio signalstransmitted have exceeded a presentation limit (e.g., 4 cycles). If thecontroller 108 does not detect an acceptance signal from thecommunication device in step 526, and the presentation limit has beenexceeded (e.g., 4 cycles of the prerecorded message have beenpresented), the controller 108 proceeds to step 524 where it links thefirst voice channel associated with the calling party to a voicemailservice associated with the end user of the targeted communicationdevice. Otherwise if the end user has accepted the call, the controller108 proceeds to step 528 where it links the first and second voicechannels, thereby enabling the parties to communicate.

If a process for live speech is selected in step 514, the controller 108proceeds to step 520 where it links the first and second voice channelstemporarily to allow the calling party to announce him or herself.Similar to step 413 of FIG. 4, the controller 108 submits an indicationto the calling party that s/he can begin to speak. If the controller 208does not detect an acceptance signal from the communication device instep 526 and the presentation limit for live speech has been exceed instep 522, then the controller 108 proceeds to step 522 where itdisconnects the first voice channel from the second voice channel, andlinks the first voice channel to the voicemail service in step 524.Otherwise, the controller 108 permanently links the first and secondvoice channels until such time as either party ends the call.

FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary flowchart of method 600 operating as a webportal application hosted by the CPS 102. The web portal application canoperate as computer instructions in the controller 108 of the CPS 102,or in a separate computing device managed by the CPS 102. Forillustration purposes only, the web portal application will be assumedto operate as an independent computing device. It should also be notedthat method 600 describes one of many possible means for provisioningthe CPS 102. Accordingly, method 600 begins with step 602 where the webportal application presents a graphical user interface (GUI) over theInternet to facilitate provisioning announcements as described earlierfor methods 300 and 500. The GUI can be viewed by a conventional webbrowser (see FIG. 7 for an illustration).

In step 604, the web portal application can store a calling party'sname, a caller ID, or an access code as illustrated in FIG. 7. The webportal application can be further programmed in step 606 to associate acalling number of the communication device (e.g., 555-555-666) with thecalling party (e.g., John Doe). This step therefore allows an end userto configure announcements for each of a number of communication devicescarried by the end user (e.g., a cell phone, a VoIP phone) for businessor personal use. In step 608, the web portal application can beprogrammed to store a selection of an audio signal type for the callingparty. As noted by the foregoing methods, the audio signal type can be arecorded message or live speech of the calling party. In the former usecase, the web portal application can proceed to step 612 where it storesany number of recorded audio sources supplied by the end user. The audiosources can include, for example, specific ring tones, music,prerecorded messages in the calling party's voice, or the end user'svoice. Simply put, the end user can supply any audible source which canassist the him or her in identifying the calling party.

The web portal application then proceeds to step 614 where it stores apresentation limit for each calling party identified. The presentationlimit can be a temporal limit or cycle limit as described earlier. Oncethe provisioning information has been entered, the web portalapplication can proceed to step 616 where it transmits to the CPS 102the provisioning information associated with the calling parties. FIG. 7depicts an illustration with pull-down menus and two calling partyentries fully populated. Other GUI formats can be used with more fieldsas needed.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system 800 within which a set of instructions, when executed,may cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed above. In some embodiments, the machine operates as astandalone device. In some embodiments, the machine may be connected(e.g., using a network) to other machines. In a networked deployment,the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client usermachine in server-client user network environment, or as a peer machinein a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a desktopcomputer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge, or anymachine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a device of the present disclosure includes broadly anyelectronic device that provides voice, video or data communication.Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shallalso be taken to include any collection of machines that individually orjointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform anyone or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The computer system 800 may include a processor 802 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a mainmemory 804 and a static memory 806, which communicate with each othervia a bus 808. The computer system 800 may further include a videodisplay unit 810 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel, asolid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system800 may include an input device 812 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 814 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 816, a signal generationdevice 818 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interfacedevice 820.

The disk drive unit 816 may include a machine-readable medium 822 onwhich is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 824)embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions describedherein, including those methods illustrated above. The instructions 824may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the mainmemory 804, the static memory 806, and/or within the processor 802during execution thereof by the computer system 800. The main memory 804and the processor 802 also may constitute machine-readable media.Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatusand systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety ofelectronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions intwo or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices withrelated control and data signals communicated between and through themodules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit.Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, andhardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementationscan include, but not limited to, distributed processing orcomponent/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtualmachine processing can also be constructed to implement the methodsdescribed herein.

The present disclosure contemplates a machine readable medium containinginstructions 824, or that which receives and executes instructions 824from a propagated signal so that a device connected to a networkenvironment 826 can send or receive voice, video or data, and tocommunicate over the network 826 using the instructions 824. Theinstructions 824 may further be transmitted or received over a network826 via the network interface device 820.

While the machine-readable medium 822 is shown in an example embodimentto be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should betaken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralizedor distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) thatstore the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readablemedium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by themachine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present disclosure.

The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken toinclude, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such as a memorycard or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile)memories, random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile)memories; magneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk or tape; andcarrier wave signals such as a signal embodying computer instructions ina transmission medium; and/or a digital file attachment to e-mail orother self-contained information archive or set of archives isconsidered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storagemedium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one ormore of a machine-readable medium or a distribution medium, as listedherein and including art-recognized equivalents and successor media, inwhich the software implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodicallysuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocolshaving the same functions are considered equivalents.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merelyfor convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope ofthis application to any single invention or inventive concept if morethan one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments havebeen illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the above description.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R..sctn. 1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than allfeatures of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims arehereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

1. A computer-implemented method, performed by at least one processorexecuting computer-readable instructions, comprising: detecting anincoming call from a calling device; identifying a calling-partyidentifier corresponding to the calling device; and determining, usingthe calling-party identifier, whether to (a) transmit a prerecordedmessage to a called device to announce the incoming call or to (b) allowa calling party to provide a live announcement, via the calling device,for transmission to the called device.
 2. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1 further comprising transmitting, in response todetermining (a) to transmit the prerecorded message, the prerecordedmessage to the called device.
 3. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 2 further comprising retransmitting the prerecorded message to thecalled device in response to determining that (i) an acceptance signalhas not been received from the called device and (ii) a predeterminedlimit, for retransmitting the prerecorded message, has not been reached.4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprisingfacilitating transmission to the called device of the live announcementfrom the calling party in response to determining to (b) allow thecalling party to provide the live announcement.
 5. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein: the incoming callarrives over a first voice channel; the method further comprisesdetecting a communication transmitted over a second voice channel fromthe called device in response to the incoming call; and determiningwhether to transmit the prerecorded message or allow the calling partyto provide the live announcement is performed in response to detectingthe communication.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 furthercomprising: transmitting, in response to determining (a) to transmit theprerecorded message, the prerecorded message to the called device;receiving an acceptance signal from the called device in response to theprerecorded message; and connecting the incoming call in response toreceiving the acceptance, wherein connecting the call includes linkingthe first voice channel and the second voice channel, yielding aconnected call between the calling device and the called device.
 7. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising: facilitating,in response to determining to (b) allow the calling party to provide thelive announcement, transmission to the called device of the liveannouncement from the calling party; receiving an acceptance signal fromthe called device in response to the live announcement; and connectingthe incoming call in response to receiving the acceptance, whereinconnecting the call includes linking the first voice channel and thesecond voice channel, yielding a connected call between the callingdevice and the called device.
 8. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 5 further comprising linking, in response to determining that apredetermined limit has been reached without the call being accepted atthe called device, the first voice channel to a voicemail service. 9.The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein facilitatingtransmission to the called device of the live announcement includeslinking, temporarily, the first voice channel and the second voicechannel to allow transmission of the live announcement from the callingdevice to the called device.
 10. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 9 further comprising transmitting an indication to the callingdevice to notify the calling party that the calling party can voice thelive announcement.
 11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9further comprising disconnecting the first voice channel and the secondvoice channel in response to determining that an acceptance has not beenreceived from the called device following transmission of the liveannouncement to the called device.
 12. The computer-implemented methodof claim 5 further comprising transmitting, in response to detecting theincoming call arriving via the first voice channel, a notificationsignal to the called device to notify a called party of the call. 13.The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising selecting,in response to determining to (a) transmit the prerecorded message, theprerecorded message, from amongst multiple prerecorded messages, usingthe calling-party identifier.
 14. A computerized call processing systemcomprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, whenexecuted by the processor, cause the processor to perform functionsincluding: detecting an incoming call from a calling device; identifyinga calling-party identifier corresponding to the calling device; anddetermining, using the calling-party identifier, whether to (a) transmita prerecorded message to a called device to announce the incoming callor to (b) allow a calling party to provide a live announcement, via thecalling device, for transmission to the called device.
 15. Thenon-transitory computerized call processing system of claim 14, wherein:the incoming call arriving over a first voice channel; determiningwhether to transmit the prerecorded message or allow the calling partyto provide the live announcement is performed in response to detecting acommunication transmitted over a second voice channel from the calleddevice in response to the incoming call; and the instructions, whenexecuted by the processor, further cause the processor to: transmit, inresponse to determining (a) to transmit the prerecorded message, theprerecorded message to the called device; receive an acceptance signalfrom the called device in response to the prerecorded message; andconnect the incoming call in response to receiving the acceptance,wherein connecting the call includes linking the first voice channel andthe second voice channel, yielding a connected call between the callingdevice and the called device.
 16. The non-transitory computerized callprocessing system of claim 14, wherein: the incoming call arrives over afirst voice channel; determining whether to transmit the prerecordedmessage or allow the calling party to provide the live announcement isperformed in response to detecting a communication transmitted over asecond voice channel from the called device in response to the incomingcall; and the instructions, when executed by the processor, furthercause the processor to: facilitate, in response to determining to (b)allow the calling party to provide the live announcement, transmissionto the called device of the live announcement from the calling party;receive an acceptance signal from the called device in response to thelive announcement; and connect the incoming call in response toreceiving the acceptance, wherein connecting the call includes linkingthe first voice channel and the second voice channel, yielding aconnected call between the calling device and the called device.
 17. Thenon-transitory computerized call processing system of claim 16, wherein:facilitating transmission to the called device of the live announcementincludes linking, temporarily, the first voice channel and the secondvoice channel to allow transmission of the live announcement from thecalling device to the called device; and the instructions, when executedby the processor, further cause the processor to transmit an indicationto the calling device to notify the calling party that the calling partycan voice the live announcement.
 18. The non-transitory computerizedcall processing system of claim 16, wherein: facilitating transmissionto the called device of the live announcement includes linking,temporarily, the first voice channel and the second voice channel toallow transmission of the live announcement from the calling device tothe called device; and the instructions, when executed by the processor,further cause the processor to disconnect the first voice channel andthe second voice channel in response to determining that an acceptancehas not been received from the called device following transmission ofthe live announcement to the called device.
 19. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executableinstructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processorto perform acts comprising: detecting an incoming call from a callingdevice; identifying a calling-party identifier corresponding to thecalling device; and determining, using the calling-party identifier,whether to (a) transmit a prerecorded message to a called device toannounce the incoming call or to (b) allow a calling party to provide alive announcement, via the calling device, for transmission to thecalled device.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumof claim 19 wherein: the incoming call arrives over a first voicechannel; determining whether to transmit the prerecorded message orallow the calling party to provide the live announcement is performed inresponse to detecting a communication transmitted over a second voicechannel from the called device in response to the incoming call; and theinstructions, when executed by the processor, further cause theprocessor to: facilitate, in response to determining to (b) allow thecalling party to provide the live announcement, transmission to thecalled device of the live announcement from the calling party; receivean acceptance signal from the called device in response to the liveannouncement; and connect the incoming call in response to receiving theacceptance, wherein connecting the call includes linking the first voicechannel and the second voice channel, yielding a connected call betweenthe calling device and the called device.